Link: Patsy Cline sampler
I can think of a number of "perfect" singers like Jim -- who hit the notes accurately and with seeming ease -- and with their own unique intonation. The list would include stars like Anne Murray, John Denver, Rosemary Clooney, Engelbert Humperdinck, Matt Monro, and others. They didn't sing with a lot of "coloratura" or emotion in their voices. Yet they have all sold millions of recordings.
Patsy Cline was an accurate singer, too, but she had a wide dynamic range which she used very expressively, and she was from the old school. In the booklet I wrote that accompanies the overdubs I produced for "The Divine Ms. Cline," I analyze Patsy's range of vocal tricks, which were considerable. (To hear samples of her singing, click the link below).
But the other artists I named above would not have been as good had they stepped out of their comfort zone and tried to sing with a lot of emotion. On the other end of the spectrum I suppose one could cite Perry Como, who always put me to sleep because he was SO laid back and dull.
I don't know who these people are who prefer their singers not to be able to hit the right notes, or be melodramatic with their vocalizing but since it's much more difficult to sing accurately, I have always admired those -- like Jim Reeves -- who can.
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